


The Choice

by SassySnowperson



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Droid Feels, Gen, Personhood is complicated, So is walking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:20:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23441584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassySnowperson/pseuds/SassySnowperson
Summary: Kuiil brings IG-11 back to life, and offers him a choice.
Relationships: IG-11 & Kuiil (Star Wars)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32
Collections: Party in the GFFA: Star Wars Flash Exchange 2020





	The Choice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Guinevak](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guinevak/gifts).



> Guinevak, I found your quick prompts for this set endlessly charming, and I realized I wanted some more Warthog Grandpa in my life, too.

The droid's optical sensors flickered on, glowing a soft orange. Kuiil watched as he ran through the steps of optical rangefinding, twisting his head back and forth until the sensors found Kuiil. There was some whirring as the droid focused, then, entirely focused on Kuiil, the droid stopped moving all together.

Not unexpected behavior, but still possibly indicative of fault. More information was needed. "Can you respond to verbal input?"

"Yes," the droid said.

"Good. Do you have a name?" Kuiil asked.

"My name is IG-11. I am a..." IG-11 stopped speaking. He pivoted back and forth, an external representation of confusion in processing. "I appear to have been terminated, and my neural harness largely rebuilt."

"Yes. My work," Kuiil said. "Now that you are capable of self-analysis, are there any unfinished connections?" Kuiil knew he was skilled. He didn't need to ask if there were flaws in his existing work. But there may be some work yet to do.

"No. It appears the work was completed with a high degree of care and craft. I believe I am restored. To what purpose?" IG-11's optics focused back on Kuiil, and he went still again. Waiting. 

Kuiil was no stranger to waiting. Things deserved care, and care often took patience. He stood up and came closer to IG-11, folding his arms behind his back. He tilted his head and looked IG-11 over, from oblong head to mechanical toe. "You are as physically repaired as I can make you. Now, it is the mental training that matters. But I find myself reluctant to engage in that without your input." Kuiil took a breath, and then announced, "I am going to give you a choice I was not given."

Kuiil had known he was going to offer this choice before he ever picked the shell of IG-11 up off the ground. It was the thing that needed to be decided, so he had. Now that it was time for action, he found himself eager to learn the consequence of his commitment.

"I have uncoupled your neural matrix from receiving command input. You can choose to respond to queries, you are not obligated to. I have done this to offer you the chance to make a decision."

"My outcome processing matrix perceives a high level of risk associated with that decision," IG-11 said. "Is it a usual choice?"

Kuiil laughed slightly. "No. Highly unusual. But essential for me to make."

IG-11 stirred. "I could kill you. You could not order me to stop"

"If I did not give you this choice, I would kill myself. Or at least, I would kill the version of myself I am proud of becoming. It is essential. I have spoken."

"You have," IG-11 affirmed. Then he fell still again. Waiting.

Kuiil waited as well, and once he was certain that IG-11 had not decided to kill him, continued. "You may leave. You do not have any designated function. You may leave, and find the one that suits you. Or you may stay. Should you decide to stay, I would begin the process of training you to assist here."

"Would you re-activate my ability to receive command input?"

"No. You may do it yourself, it will aid in learning the skills faster."

IG-11 paused. "I have no skills."

Kuiil shook his head. "You have some. Speech."

"Yes, but even base motor function..." IG-11 stood, and then promptly toppled over. "I would be unable to leave, even if I wished to," he said from the floor.

"Hm. I had hoped you would retain more than that. Still, it is a skill you may learn. Should you wish to teach yourself and leave, I will work around you."

"I do not enjoy my current lack of knowledge. My priority is to learn." IG-11 paused, and his eyes glowed white, then blue. "Command input reactivated. Please help."

Kuiil nodded, and gestured to IG-11's right arm. "Most bipeds start by crawling. Let's try that. Start by lifting your torso with a balance of pressure between your limbs."

* * *

Kuiil watched as IG-11 heated water on the stove (manual dexterity to work stove controls, receive input temperature, judge appropriate temperature and remove water), poured the water over the leaves and let it steep (aforementioned dexterity, mixed with the additional complications of fluid dynamics and knowledge of appropriate brew times), and then brought the cup of tea over to the table (gross motor skills of picking, turning, walking, as well as balance adjusting for holding items).

All in all, it was an astounding display of skill growth, particularly considering the starting point.

IG-11 presented the cup to Kuiil with the question of, "Does this meet your satisfaction?"

Kuiil sipped, considering the flavor. "It does. Well brewed tea. I thank you."

"Good." IG-11's eyes flashed white, then orange. "I have deactivated my command input. I set accurately preparing a cup of tea as a predetermined trigger, provided you did not remove my ability to do so."

"I did not," Kuiil said.

"Why?" IG-11 asked.

Kuiil paused, and decided IG-11 had earned at least some of his story. "I was an indentured servant. I was given the opportunity to work myself free. I was not given a choice regarding the indenture in the first place. I had a master I did not want. I will not become the master of another."

IG-11 hummed, a processing noise he was making more and more, these days. Little signs of personality growth. "I initially chose to stay because I felt ill-equipped to handle the world."

Kuiil nodded.

"Now I can prepare tea. There are obviously more skills needed to survive independently, but it seems to be a good benchmark. I feel better prepared to make an informed decision."

Kuiil gestured for him to go on. 

"You mentioned before, that you are creating yourself. The version of yourself you want to be." 

"That is true," Kuiil said. He was a surprised IG-11 had remembered their first conversation with that much nuance. 

"I am also becoming. And I like the me I am becoming with you. I have decided I will choose to stay, this time because I find your company pleasant and your instruction informative." 

Kuiil smiled. "Thank you. And you are welcome here." 

IG-11's eyes flashed white, then blue. "Command input re-initiated." He paused, then added, "I have spoken." 

Kuiil nodded. "You have. And I am glad of it." He reached out and pat IG-11's elbow joint. "It would have been lonely with you gone. Now, I will finish the tea, and then we will go see the blurrgs."

"Acceptable," IG-11 decided, and settled back to sit alongside Kuiil. 


End file.
